.380 to small?

[JD8]

Personally there's no way I'd use a .380 for home protection. There are so many versatile 9mm platforms out there to consider .380 for anything other than a "get off me gun."

Also, do yourself a favor and skip Tulsa Firearms and head to 2A shooting center. They won't rip you off and a MUCH more knowledgable and helpful staff. The range is nicer too.

 

[Kmarcm]

i need to clarify, the MAIN use of the 380 will be concealed carry. if the house needs cleared id go for the 12ga

 

[nhagar]

for conceal carry .380 will be fine as long as long as your accuracy is good. practice with the gun to make sure you are very comfortable and accurate with the gun. now for home protection I would say 12Ga. Pump. I don't know if it is true or how well my thinking would be. But my thinking says if someone breaks into a home and hears the racking of a shotgun he will know someone is home and going to take care of the situation if need be and will likely run away fast. I figure 95% of a burglary is that situation but also you may have the 5% of criminals that may not be scared as he as a gun too. So if you do rack the slide or pump a shotgun and intruder hears you as a home owner and holder of the gun must be prepared to use it if necessary.

 

[tran]

for conceal carry .380 will be fine as long as long as your accuracy is good. practice with the gun to make sure you are very comfortable and accurate with the gun. now for home protection I would say 12Ga. Pump. I don't know if it is true or how well my thinking would be. But my thinking says if someone breaks into a home and hears the racking of a shotgun he will know someone is home and going to take care of the situation if need be and will likely run away fast. I figure 95% of a burglary is that situation but also you may have the 5% of criminals that may not be scared as he as a gun too. So if you do rack the slide or pump a shotgun and intruder hears you as a home owner and holder of the gun must be prepared to use it if necessary.

I agree. If it is for your wife I would get her a Youth 20 Ga. With a shot gun their is no need to aim, just point and shoot.

 

[Twmaster]

I had a PK380. I liked it. It felt good in my hand and shot well enough. Good size for CCW. It's also a very soft shooting gun so it will not be too hard for most women to get used to and keep under control. I never had any issues with feed, fire or ejecting.

You could make a worse selection.

 

[MoBoost]

I would be the first one to say that best caliber is the one you practice with.
However - 380 is one of the worst rounds ever made! You get 22LR performance in 9mm Luger package .... WTF!!!! Why that round is still kicking is beyond me. There are plenty 9mm options out there NOT to consider the 380 at all.

 

[druryj]

I agree. If it is for your wife I would get her a Youth 20 Ga. With a shot gun their is no need to aim, just point and shoot.

Disagree. Aiming is probably a good thing. Best to check the pattern on that booger at the distances you may have to use it, doncha think?

 

[ttown]

Kmarcm,

If you find a place to shoot PM me. I can let you try a baby glock, a S&W .38 spl, and a Kimber .45.

I'm very worried about all the .380 advice here. The .380 is a niche gun used as a BUG or where your dress can't carry a CCW sized gun. It's not a round that's going to give 1 shot stops which will require you to know how to defend yourself since most shootings happen within 3 yards. That's a 1 small leap move.

I grow tied of the shot placement argument. In the real world shooting you just don't see a high percentage of shots to the heart or head. It's a vast difference in shooting a still target and a moving target. A .380 to the shoulder isn't going to stop a determined BG a .45 may but it will a least give the BG one less arm to use in attaching you and they'll bleed out much faster. At these ranges you really need to learn close quarter combat since you've going to have to fight and practice gun retention, that's an almost for sure with a .380.

My little Keltc is 7oz and really kicks with target ammo. I put in Double Tapp ammo with a spear gold dot going 1000fps it's savage. Your choices with a .380 in ammo is limited to a few good manfacture making defense rounds or FMJ. This round is known not to penetrate quite enough to hit the vitals and if you shot though an arm or hit a bone it's even less likely. An all steel gun that has some heft is going to take away some recoil but at that point you may as well go 9mm or .38 IMO.

The .380 at it's best is a gun you could pull when your on the ground and your primary can't be reached (pocket/ankle carry). or close range on the street. I can assure you all those saying buy the .380 as your first gun and only gun have other guns and this isn't there primary if they're in their right mind


As far as your house plan goes you need to expand on your plan and how your house is laid out. My shotgun is in my bedroom. Someone knocks my door down and it's my pistol that I'll have to use. A shotgun is awesome but my house is real open and all the bedroom are together. More than likely I wouldn't clear my house but hold a defensive position with it while calling the police while making that real clear to them trying to get them to run. If you have kids what's that plan? They going to hide? Will they? Keep in mind a shotgun has a barrel that someone can grab going though a door since it arrives a couple feet before you do. Someone can quite easily grab the barrel and pop you in the head with their gun.

Anyway there no magic gun but it's a well thought out system of defense your after for each use. A shotgun with a good caliber handgun is the way to start IMO, the .380 can be your second gun. Do you really want to be sitting in your living room and have a home evasion with the .380 and multiple attackers? If so your a brave man lol.

l8r

 

[MoBoost]

Kmarcm,
A .380 to the shoulder isn't going to stop a determined BG a .45 may but it will a least give the BG one less arm to use in attaching you and they'll bleed out much faster.

I agree with pretty much everything you say, except for the quoted part - in my personal research bullet diameter is the least important part of damage dynamics: I don't see how a shoulder hit with a .452 would be much different than .355 - I just don't buy into "bigger hole" theory simply because humans are not constructed like balloons.

 

[JD8]

I agree with pretty much everything you say, except for the quoted part - in my personal research bullet diameter is the least important part of damage dynamics: I don't see how a shoulder hit with a .452 would be much different than .355 - I just don't buy into "bigger hole" theory simply because humans are not constructed like balloons.

There is however an energy difference.